Base-plate for railway-rail joints



(No Model.)

M. SELLERS. 7 BASE PLATE FOR RAILWAY RAIL JOINTS. No. 605,520. PatentedJune 14, 1898.

W/Il/I/I/fI/ll/I/I/ 71327265666. Evan? FATENT Erica;

MoRRIs SELLERS, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BASE-PLATE FOR RAlLWAY-RA|L JOINTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 605,520, dated June 14,1898. Application filed April 6, 1896. Serial No. 586,290. (No model.)

To all tqhom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, MoRRIs SELLERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Base-Plates forRailway-Rail Joints, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in base-plates forrailway-rail joints. Plates of this general character have been made inmany different forms heretofore, some of them having flanges toconstitute braces for that portion of the plate spanning the distancebetween the cross-ties and others having those flanges continuedthroughout the length of the plate and adapted to rest in channels orgrooves provided for them in the cross-ties to secure. the plate fromlateral movement. The types mentioned, as well as all others now knownto me, are objectionable for the reason that no provision is made tokeep the plate in a stationary position on the cross-ties and therebyprevent the plate from creeping or getting out of place, orelse flangesor ribs are provided on the plate to enter or be driven intothecross-ties, thereby destroy; ing the fibers of the wood and makingopenings to receive water and other foreign matter, which soon rots andotherwise injures the tie. It is my aim to provide a basefplate whichavoids these objectionable features and which will remain in its properposition on the ties without creeping, being also reinforced at theproper places by strengthening-braces, which prevent the plate fromstraining and bending.

NVith these and other ends in view the invention consists in thepeculiar construction hereinafter described, and particularly shown inthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation,partly in section,

showing the arrangement of my improved base-plate beneath 'a rail-joint.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the base-plate. Fig. 3 is'a bottom planview of the base-plate, and Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 4 4of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, in whichlike letters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the rails, and Btwo adjacent 'crossties, the said rails having their meeting endsbetween the cross-ties.

The base-plate'C is provided with a channel a to receive the rails, andit is of sufficient length, preferably, to extend entirely across .bothof said ties, although the length of the Betweenthe ties, where it issubjected to the greatest strain,

plate may vary as desired.

the plate is provided with one or more braces D, two of which are shownin Fig. 3. These braces are preferably of such length that they extendfrom one tie to the other, and they are rolled from the sheet of metalout of which the plate is formed without in any way impairing thestrength of the plate itself.

Holes E are provided to receive spikes or other fastening devices and bymeans of which the plate may be secured to the ties.

In order to prevent the base-plate from creep ing and getting out of itsproper position, I provide ribs 011 the under side of said plate, whichare adapted to engage the fibers of the ties in all directions. In theparticular form shown in the drawings the ribs F are arranged in pairsat each end of the plate, and the ribs of each pair cross each other ator about their middle. The ribs are not intended to distort or cut theties, but simply to impress themselves in theface of the tiesufficiently to engage the fibers and prevent the plate from moving outof its proper position on the ties. For this reason the greatest depthof the ribs, which in the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 assume somewhattheform of a star, is at or about their middle, where they cross eachother, and from this point the ribs taper to the ends, where theygradually merge into the face of the plate.

\Vhen myimproved base-plate is arranged in position beneath the meetingends of two railway-rails, the ribs F will rest upon the ties and engagethe fibers thereof running in all directions, and the braces D, anynumber "of which may be used, strengthen the plate between the ties andprevent it from sagging or becoming strained at this point, Whenpressure is placed upon the rails, the ribs F are-forced againstthefibers of the wood and are more or less pressed into the face of theties; but theydo not enter otherwise destroy the fiber of the tie, likethe flanges of other plates very commonly used at this time,which makeopenings in' the tie and thereby permit strengthening and reinforcingbraces adapted to be arranged between two adjacent ties and ribs toengage the fibers of the tie in all directions on the under side of theplate and at each end thereof.

The particular arrangement of the ribs F may be varied; but it isdesirable that they should have substantially the same configuration asthat herein shown and described. The number and arrangement of thereinforcing-braces may also vary; but this of lection.

The braces D are preferably rolled up with the plate without taking anymetal away from the plate proper, and they therefore constitutereinforces which materially strengthenthe plate. The ribsF secure theplate in position on the ties and prevent creeping. They do not opentheties, but simply become impressed in the face of the tiessufficiently to secure a hold thereon.

' Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

As a new article of manufacture, a baseplate for rail-joints,comprisinga plate adapted to rest upon two adjacent cross-ties, having alongitudinal socket on its upper surface to receive the rail andprovided on its bottom at the ends thereof with tapering cross-ribsadapted to engage the respective ties, substantially as described.course is a matterof mechanical skill and se- 1 4 MORRIS SELLERS.

\Vitnesses:

WM. 0. BELT, M. E. SHIELDS.

